


Becoming the Mask

by Acidwing



Category: BEN Drowned, Creepypasta - Fandom, Cthulhu Mythos - Fandom, Fear Mythos, Slender Man Mythos
Genre: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-05
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-02-19 23:17:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2406566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acidwing/pseuds/Acidwing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When an ordinary boy encounters horribly familiar creatures, he finds himself in a mess of Lovecraftian proportions. Literally.</p><p>(Warnings for blood, creepiness, purple prose, and bad rhymes. All titles are from the TVTropes. Also warning for TVTropes because they will ruin your life)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Weirdness Magnet

Hit and run. Such simple words, simple and ugly, like the blood staining the pavement and bones tearing through the skin. Ugly, like the drunk driver speeding away with no remorse, like the life leaving the broken body in shuddering gasps and a river of red.

What’s one life among billions, living, dying every second? Others (concerned pedestrians, ambulance crew, hospital staff) fighting to save _(why did they even care?)_ this one life _(just one among billions, why should it matter?)_ through blood loss and faltering heartbeat _(was it luck or fate)_ until death stepped away _(that this life was saved?)_.

* * *

Alex Parker was one of those people you wouldn’t glance a second time at, so painfully average was his life  _(aside from that one brush with death)_ , his looks  _(but who could look and simply guess)_ , his name  _(that one could have so many names)_ , and behavior  _(what normal was in world insane?)_ .

Who could have guessed that things would change, his life becoming very strange?

* * *

‘Life is good,’ Alex decided tilting his head to grin at the clear blue sky. Summer break in the lazy suburbs that could be spent having fun with friends (or the Internet, that was an option too) without care for anything in the world was just what he needed, especially after the hospital nightmare earlier that year.

The teenager hid his hands in the pockets feeling the wind ruffle his dark hair and stepped under the green canopy of the old park. The warm day and bright sun called many families outside, and Alex laughed as he was nearly bowled over by the group of children chasing each other. Still grinning slightly he stepped off the sidewalk and onto the trail half-hidden in the long grass.

As he went further into the woods, the sounds of nature replacing the human voices, Alex let his mind wander going over his half-formed plans for the summer. So absorbed he was in his thoughts, the teen had only stopped when the trail ended, leading to a small clearing. He blinked in confusion looking around without recognition, slightly surprised when the glance upwards showed the sky blocked by the grey clouds. Lowering his head Alex let out a startled yelp. Thick mist was creeping between the trees. The mist that he could _swear_ wasn’t there a second ago.

Feeling thoroughly creeped out, he worriedly turned around searching for the way back yet finding nothing, noting at the back of his mind that the wind had stilled completely and all the sounds sans his own breathing had disappeared. The uncomfortable feeling of someone – something? – watching him caused the hair at the back of his neck to stand up. The chill creeping up his spine intensified tenfold as the _presence_ he could detect by some sixth sense moved closer until…

Until his fear blinked out of existence even though the strange presence remained.

Letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding Alex shook his head trying to understand just what the hell happened. Fear out of nowhere, calm out of nowhere, the _presence_ out of nowhere… Wait, the presence? Sure enough, he could feel it still, that _something_ behind his back. Something that should have been strange but seemed normal and – dare he say it – comfortable.

Curious but unafraid _(why wasn’t he afraid?)_ Alex turned around.

* * *

He should be scared _(he wasn’t)_.

He should be surprised _(he wasn’t)_.

He should be disbelieving _(he wasn’t)_.

He should have run away _(why was he stepping closer?)_.

* * *

The impossibly tall and thin creature _(who could ever mistake it for a man?)_ with branching arms and blank empty face _(always watches, no eyes)_ stood at the edge of the clearing almost hiding between the trees _(watching, waiting, what does it want?)_.

Oh, Alex knew what it was, that familiar shape from blogs, and forums, and YouTube channels _(how many times had he seen it?)_ , that shouldn’t be real but was _(how many times had it seen him?)_ , it had no place in the real world _(he was just a human, insignificant speck in the infinite universe, what could he possibly know about reality?)_.

He stepped closer without fear, disregarding any concerns, familiarity and quiet confidence filling him. Was it reality or dream, or had he simply gone insane? What did it matter in the end, it was real enough for _him_.

The creature _(Slender Man they called it, Thin Man, Tall Man, oh what a joke, this was no man!)_ stood silent, unmoving _(what did it want, why was it here?)_. Who could guess what it was thinking about _(could it even think, was it a blind force of nature)_? Closer and closer he came with each step, and didn’t even know what to expect (why wasn’t he leaving, this thing was not meant for human eyes – _run away, little boy, while you are still alive_ ).

He came so close he could touch it (he wanted to touch it, to make sure it was real and not a dream – _would it be better if it was?_ ) but hesitated, studying it instead. It looked like a tree that decided to become human but didn’t know how to go about it, choosing darkest nightmares of humankind as guidelines. Its body (trunk) was so smooth and black like deepest night _(not the color but the absence of light)_ , its arms (branches) were raised to the sky waiting to trap, entangle, snap, and strangle whoever came close _(like him, foolish boy, don’t poke your nose, things like this are not a toy)_. Against his better judgment _(his mind and feelings in such disarray, screaming “No!” and “Yes!” at the same time, but he knew he’d be okay)_ he reached with one hand, fingers touching neither hot nor cold, smooth and hard, and almost soft, like mist and night that came alive, body (trunk) of creature _(not tree or man but something better and worse)_.

The branches moved _(if you try to get the cheese, the trap will break your neck with ease, silly, silly little mouse should have never left the house)_ with fluid grace reaching for him. He stood still and unafraid as branches (arms) wound around his neck _(humans were so fragile, so easy to break)_ slithering over his shoulders and chest _(it wouldn’t let him go)_ ensnaring like snakes _(but why wasn’t he afraid?)_. The face _(so blank and white, could it be even called a face?)_ turned to him, its burning gaze _(how could it look with no eyes?)_ settling like a heavy weight on his shoulders.

“…Hello?” Alex finally said after minutes _(hours, days, how long was he standing here?)_ his voice not breaking the silence but muffled by it _(this was not a place for human words)_. “Who- or what are you?”

The faceless head tilted to the side in- question? Curiosity? Could a creature like that even have emotions?

Talking seemed wrong _(he was content to stay there, silent, unmoving, without care)_ but the eerie calm was slowly giving way to curiosity. “Can you talk? …Can you understand me?”

The creature didn’t move, gave no indication it even heard the question _(couldn’t hear, couldn’t understand, or simply didn’t care?_ ), and Alex sighed quietly. It seemed like the great mystery would remain unsolved _(before chasing the unknown, ask what the cost of knowledge is and decide if you are willing to pay)_.

The creature shifted, its branches sliding off and away, twining and fusing together until only two remained hanging loosely down. The trunk shortened, its lower half splitting in two, and Alex watched mesmerized as the creature changed into a form that could easily be mistaken for human _(Granny, why are your teeth so big?)_. The arm (no longer a branch) moved bonelessly, the pale hand _(not human, never human)_ coming to rest on his shoulder. Curiously he touched the black suit (not cloth but close enough), the texture feeling the same as before _(you can’t change what you truly are)_ , but such a perfect imitation _(you wouldn’t notice until it’s too late, no lumberjack will save you now, Little Red Riding Hood)_ for a creature so alien.

“I have no idea what you want from me,” Alex said glancing upwards at the featureless face. “Hell, I have no idea why I’m not running away screaming. Did you do something to me?”

No answer, not that he expected one _(what was the point of talking to a star or a shadow, could they understand your words, could you comprehend their response?)_.

Glancing around he noticed that the mist became so thick, he couldn’t see anything even a couple of feet away _(don’t look too close; what’s hiding doesn’t want to be seen)_ , he was lost in the world of grey. Is that how people disappeared never to be seen again, lost amidst unearthly plains _(was it better to pretend he had gone insane than admit his life was lost in vain)_? No point now in getting afraid or trying to escape his fate, no one would come to his aid, he shouldn’t have stayed but it was already too late. The mist crept closer thick and white, no sound from it could be heard. It wasn’t something one could fight, and it would swallow entire world.

The mist blocked his sight and dulled his senses like a blanket of static, until all was white, quiet, and dull, so when it cleared, and the creature before him was gone, he felt like waking from a dream that quickly disappeared, chased away by the sun.

Startled he looked around seeing the same sunny clearing and the trail half-covered in grass, clear sky and no trace of mist. The strange tranquility lifted but fear didn’t come to take its place and neither did the disbelief or denial. He knew what he saw and he trusted his senses, even if he felt off-kilter and the world seemed so much larger and stranger than before.

Shoving his hands in the pockets Alex hunched over slightly and walked quickly away from the clearing, thousands of questions whirling through his mind. Soon he was back in the crowd of unsuspecting people, though if he glanced behind every now and then he would have noticed a creature, neither human nor tree, looking at him with its eyeless face. Watching. Waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea where all those rhymes came from, but they are creeping me out. Help, I'm scared!


	2. The Call Knows Where You Live

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously though, what's with all the rhymes? I wasn't planning on any more of them! And yet, here we are. Can't... stop... rhyming...!

“You found him?” the voice young and exuberant but darkly distorted echoed through the sound of dry leaves crunching under the two pairs of feet. “Oh, that’s just _precious_! Tell me, tell me!”

The mist crept between gnarled trees, through their twisted branches and unmoving black leaves. The words that were not words, designed not for human ears, not sound or voice but something better and worse came in response.

“Aww, so adorable! Right, J?”

Another voice soft and slightly amused rang out, “You should go see him yourself.”

“Yep, yep, I totally should, J! Someone has to explain it to him either way. He’s probably freaking out now~”

A wooden smile, a few steps off the path, and the figure was fading into the mist, “I’ll see you later.”

“Bye! …Now show me, where is he?”

The path twisted and changed staying the same but leading now through alien plains back to the land mundane. The mist dissolved and trees disappeared, the Path of Black Leaves always near, but staying just out of reach, away from human sight.

“I can see him~”

* * *

Feeling more than a little shell-shocked, Alex opened the door to his house and clambered up the stairs into his room.

“This is nuts,” he mumbled falling heavily into his chair. “I’m nuts. Totally wacko. All that creepypasta killed my brain.”

“Weeeell, if that’s what makes you feel better~” a voice snickered, and Alex screamed and flailed falling on the floor.

A shrieking laugh followed his reaction, and the monitor of his computer that wasn’t even plugged in glowed brightly rippling like water. A shadow appeared within it, moving closer to the surface, taking shape of a pale clawed hand and reaching out into the real world.

Once again his terror screeched to a halt and gave way to calm curiosity. The fifteen-year-old watched with interest as another hand appeared, arms stretching out to grip the edge of the table. Then the face – eyeless, grinning, black blood dripping from empty sockets and between the shark-like teeth – dove out of glowing depths.

“Hi~!” the quite familiar entity called out cheerfully in distorted voice, dragging himself out completely and jumping on the floor.

“At least you talk,” Alex noted, standing up and dusting himself off, before offering his hand. “Name’s Alex.”

The cold and stone-hard hand gripped his as the entity’s grin widened inhumanly, “I’m Ben, but I guess you knew it already.”

Alex nodded, “I kinda did. Not that I knew that you’re real or anything…”

Ben tilted his head to the side, a few blond locks escaping from under his green hat at the movement, and then let out another screeching laugh. “Oh, this is perfect! You aren’t scared, are you?”

The human teen shook his head, “No, not really, which is weird because I kinda should be.”

The entity clapped his hands, chanting gleefully, “Perfect, perfect, _perfect_! It really _is_ you! Ha!”

At the thoroughly confused look directed his way Ben grinned, displaying far too many teeth, “You really have no idea, don’t you?” His expression softened slightly, though his distorted voice hadn’t lost its manic cheerfulness, “Don’t worry, that’s why I’m here! To answer all your questions… and to laugh at how much stuff you get wrong. That too!”

Alex tried not to facepalm. “I guess I should be glad there’s no one home now. You aren’t exactly subtle.” Sure, unlike his previous encounter, Ben looked almost normal – in a “Legend of Zelda” cosplayer sort of way – but his creepy grin, sharp teeth, black blood, and lack of eyes ruined the illusion completely.

“I can look normal,” the entity offered, his clothes rippling and shifting into ordinary jeans and T-shirt. His claws disappeared and ears shortened to human length. Finally Ben dragged one hand down his face wiping the blood and monstrous grin, his eyes now blue and innocent.

Alex had to admit, Ben wouldn’t look out of place between his own classmates. “That’s impressive.”

The entity preened at the praise but waved his hand dismissively, “Nah, it’s just a little trick. Stick with me, and I’ll show you stuff that’ll totally blow your mind!”

“Not literally, I hope,” Alex mumbled. The grin he got in response wasn’t particularly reassuring.

The entity kicked the upturned chair then threw himself on the bed, settling cross-legged on top of the covers.

“At least take your shoes off,” Alex grumbled lightly. “I sleep there.” When did his life become so crazy? Just this morning he thought all those Internet horrors weren’t real, but noooo…

Picking up the fallen chair and settling on it, Alex turned to his uninvited guest. “Okay, what the hell is going on? First I found Slender Man or he- it- found me, now you are at my home… You came from my freakin’ computer! What- why is this happening to me?!”

“Hmmm,” Ben leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees. “You know, I came here specifically to explain stuff to you, but I didn’t even realize how much you don’t know. Huh, funny that…” He tapped his chin, deep in thought, then continued, “You need to know the backstory, which is stupidly long.”

Alex gave him a tired look. “At least you are willing to talk... Unlike _him_.”

Ben raised an eyebrow. “Slendy? Are you kidding me? Him trying to talk would have fried your squishy human brain. Out of all of us, I’m the only one who a) can talk, b) understands human point of view, c) won’t freak you out, and d) won’t accidentally on purpose damage your soft human body.”

“All of you?” Alex repeated. “All of who exactly? Creepypasta monsters?”

The entity shrugged, “That’s what you call us, right? …Don’t look so surprised, I live in the Internet, of course I know things like this! I like keeping tabs on my fandom. It can be pretty funny… or creepy. It depends.”

“…Of course.” A fictional monster googling himself. Sure, why not?

“Don’t look so traumatized,” Ben cackled. “The faster you get used to the idea that all of this is real, the better. For you, me, and the rest of us.”

“I know it’s real!” Alex protested, “I’m not an idiot. I’m not going to deny the stuff I can see with my own eyes. It’s just…”

“A lot to take in?” the entity sympathized. “At least you aren’t scared. Fear would’ve made it ten times worse.”

“Why is that by the way? Why am I not freaking out?”

Ben looked him in the eye, “A part of you recognizes me, just as it recognized Slendy. You don’t feel it as sharp as we do, but it’s more than enough.”

“But why? Why me?”

The entity grinned, “Now _that_ is a part of a long, _long_ story.”

* * *

With a wooden smile she stepped away from the Path, back in her own domain at last, the tower of stone and screams wrapped in wire and strings. There she was a queen staying unseen but reaching far through the static-filled screens. She cut her strings and fell in a heap of twisted limbs, taking a place on her throne – no point in keeping the shape not her own.

Then on the window she noticed a bird – a simple black crow, not something unheard, if not for the lightning cutting the sky where hundreds of others were seen to fly.

“Tell everyone,” she whispered, struggling to speak with a shape so twisted and her voice so weak. “He is found. Spread the word.” She fell silent again, but the creature had heard the words that she didn’t say.

Spreading black wings the bird flew into the storm, bringing the news to the rest of the swarm.

* * *

On the Bleak Shore where all the birds soared, when the news had arrived, the ocean itself came alive. The water moved listening close to the flock’s shrieks and caws.

* * *

In the Crumbling Castle of death and disease the Plague Doctor listened with growing unease. The news were great, no argument here, but the Doctor’s concern couldn’t just disappear. So much could go wrong! He had to prepare. It wouldn’t be long, he was sharply aware, till fate intervened in this affair.

* * *

In the frozen realm of snow and ice was a boy with a smile so cold but so nice. He listened to birds passing through Winter Court and pledged his unfailing support.

* * *

Behind the mirror laid different land – the Desolate Garden of reptiles and sand. The Mother of Snakes had quickly decided to finally come out of hiding.

* * *

In the forest of whispers where feral beasts dwelled, one of them listened to what the flock had to tell. Its razor-sharp claws dug into the ground, and it quickly vanished without any sound. It wanted to see what the fuss was about with its own eyes and clear any doubts.

* * *

In the burned out husk of once beautiful church a mad woman laughed, igniting like a torch. The flames rose higher and higher until her laughter cut off and she became still. She could feel her other half in the cloud of smoke, still chained and bound but already awoken.

* * *

The insects in Hive got the news from the flock but resumed their swarming with barely a thought. They had no care for things such as this, and any stray thought was quickly dismissed.

* * *

The City of empty and winding streets always twisting and changing, prepared to meet the one it was waiting for so long to greet.

* * *

The word got around, the Fears were ready to don their masks and begin masquerade.


	3. Go Mad from the Revelation

In the average house an average boy waited for his uninvited guest to start his tale.

"Where to begin, where to begin…?" Ben hummed tapping his chin.

"In the beginning?" Alex shrugged.

"Hmmm… Okay, fine," the entity agreed. "The beginning it is."

Interlacing his fingers and leaning forward slightly Ben asked, "Are you familiar with the works of H.P. Lovecraft?"

Feeling his eyebrows climb upwards, Alex couldn't help but ask, "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Everything!" Ben cackled madly. "Everything!" The laughter stopped abruptly and the entity gave him a piercing and suddenly serious look. "Answer. Yes or no?"

Slightly taken aback the human teen nodded, "Yes. I don't know much, but I remember some stuff."

His mouth twisting back into a cheerfully unnerving grin, Ben waved his hand, "You don't need to know all of it! Most of it is total bullshit and racism anyway. So take those stories with a grain of salt and divide by his phobias. I mean, that man was afraid of  _fish_  for crying out loud! Still, credit where credit is due, Lovecraft was one of the best prophets in the world."

"W-what? Prophets?! Are you serious?"

"As serious as possible," Ben informed him gravelly though the message was undermined by the shrieking laughter that followed. "You should've seen your face!"

Gritting his teeth Alex growled, "Are you joking or not?!"

Ben chuckled, "Sorry. Your expression is hilarious, but I'm telling the truth. Lovecraft was a seer, a prophet, and he transformed his visions and nightmares into his stories. Do keep in mind that he received only glimpses of knowledge having to add his imagination quite a lot, but his books are based on true events."

Alex buried his face in both hands. "So you want to tell me," he started weakly, "That all those monsters, like Cthulhu-"

"Why is it always Cthulhu that people remember?!" Ben interrupted with a strange sort of personal affront. "Not that he isn't cool to hang out with, but seriously!"

"You met Cthulhu?" the human whimpered. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"Yep, I met him, and nope, I'm not kidding," Ben patted his shoulder. "I told you, it'll blow your mind… Alex? You OK there?"

"No, I'm not OK," he mumbled refusing to look up. "I'm so not OK, it's not even funny."

"It gets better~" the entity said in a sing-song voice. "Or worse. Depends on your point of view."

The only reaction he got was a traumatized moan.

* * *

"Why is the Convocation flying around like crazy?" a morbid-looking skeletal puppet asked curiously. "Is there another Game starting already?"

With one long limb she dragged her empty vessel closer. The wooden puppet jerked and moved as she tugged on the strings of spider silk using it to respond, "No. It concerns the Masks."

"The Masks?" his expression was unable to convey the surprise that his voice carried. "Now that's interesting. What happened?"

She relaxed the strings letting her vessel fall down and responded in her true voice, a weak chitter of static, "The Lost One was found."

* * *

Ben whistled the Song of Unhealing under his breath already feeling bored. He poked Alex with one finger resisting the urge to sharpen it into claw, "Oi, are you finished with your existential crisis?"

"…No."

Crossing his arms with annoyance, he huffed, "Great. Already broken."

* * *

The bird-headed doctor dug through the drawers and bookcases containing the notes on his research. Where was it? Dragging out thick folders and unceremoniously throwing them on the floor, the Doctor emptied shelf after shelf. It had to be there somewhere!

Now up to his ankles in paper, he cried in relief taking out a bright red folder with "The Corruption" scrawled on it in his barely-readable handwriting. Clutching the folder to his chest, the Doctor stumbled through the piles of stuff haphazardly thrown on the floor and reached his work desk. Falling into his creaking chair, he opened the folder containing all his research on the subject.

Soon it would find its application. So very soon.

* * *

"…Alex!" Ben whined. "Come on! Snap out of it already!"

"…No."

"Come oooon!"

* * *

So the Lost One was found… He stretched languidly on his frozen throne. Good news, truly, but at the same time… worrying. The  _cause_  was still unknown after all, though they all had their suspicions. The Masks had enemies, powerful ones, and even though he and the others had pledged their allegiance a long time ago, there were still those who refused to obey.

He shuddered at the memory of burning flames and mad laughter. Neither he, nor the Puppeteer could prove anything; they could only watch and wait until she slipped up and showed herself for a traitor she was. And when she did, they would fight and tear her apart. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

"Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock… Alex! Honestly! I don't have all the time in the world, you know!"

Raising his head the human teen growled, "What do you want from me? I just found out that Cthulhu is real!"

"And yet the world is still standing!" Ben snapped. "So stop freaking out! Honestly… It's not even the strangest piece of info I was about tell. I can't believe you can't handle it!"

"Easy for you to say!"

* * *

She had spent far too much time asleep, she mused stretching the long coils of her body. She twisted and bent her back with a groan feeling her joints crack and pop.

Too much time asleep. Definitely.

Yawning widely she tasted the dry air with her forked tongue and looked around, bleary-eyed. It was the same bleak desert with no one around. The sand felt pleasantly warm underneath her scales, the sun rays warming her back... She could… just… get some more… sleep…

Her massive body toppled sideways to the ground, and she immediately bolted awake screeching, "I'm up!"

Turning around she wildly searched for what had woke her up for a few seconds, before dragging a hand down her face with a groan, "I'm an idiot… Well, nobody saw that, right? Aaaand I'm talking to myself now. Again. Great… But I'm awake! Right. Totally not sleeping."

Slithering over the sand dunes and trying to wake up completely, she reviewed her dream visions. Like the other Fears she was constantly aware of her domain, her dreams perfectly reflecting reality. Not that there was much happening in the Garden at any rate… Yawning again she shook her head trying to clear it somewhat. Right. The Convocation.

She paused deciphering the message from the flock and scratched her head, "…Huh. So  _that's_  why I'm awake."

Shaking off the last shreds of sleep she materialized a mirror with a wave of her hand and dove inside. She had some work to do.

* * *

Waiting for the human teen to get a grip, Ben tried to amuse himself looking through the pile of his DVDs. "Boring, boring, boring…" he mumbled. "Boring, stupid, boring… oh, I watched that one, boring, boring…"

Turning his attention to the desktop computer, Ben ruffled through the hard drive, destroying any malware his mind touched. Huffing with disgust at the rather pathetic antivirus, he rewrote it with a wave of his hand into a semi-sentient construct similar to the ones he sometimes let loose on the particularly offensive websites. Boosting the firewall he wiped all the junk data accumulated from… He narrowed his eyes. Last year? Yeesh. He briefly contemplated warping a few programs into something  _interesting_  and dragging it out into the real world, but then decided against it. He already had plenty of servants, tailor-made for different tasks. No point in adding some half-assed creatures, though computer viruses turned biological were  _fun_ … for him at least.

Feeling already bored, Ben glanced around zeroing in on the cell phone lying innocuously on the window sill.

* * *

Slowly the pale beast crawled through the Wilderness of Whispers, none of the feral inhabitants daring to cross its way. The long metal blades attached to its fingers made soft sounds when touching the dry soil and grass. It had nowhere to hurry preferring instead to muse on the latest info. It trusted the Thunderbirds, just as it trusted the Tall One, but the deep-seated desire to believe only its own senses was hard to suppress. Sitting back on its haunches the creature tilted its head, deep in thought. Where was the Lost One found? It tried to remember but the flock's directions made little sense as usual.

The beast opened its mouth letting the jumbled whispers ring out, "City, city, city, open, city, open door, city, city, city…"

The air shimmered and a simple wooden door appeared looking out of place in the thick forest. Awkwardly standing up on its haunches, the creature pressed its palms to the wooden surface feeling it give way and open into the eternally changing city.

"Lost, lost, lost one, where, where, where…?" it whispered again crawling through the doorway and hearing it close behind.

Another door opened in the nearby wall and the creature slowly crept in.

* * *

"…What are you doing with my phone?"

Ben paused his tinkering and grinned at the glaring teen, "You're alive! Nice to know. And here I was trying to decide which of your things to steal and which to sell."

"Not funny."

The entity shrugged, "I think it is. You really need to relax though. It's not the end of the world! Besides, ostrich behavior never helped anyone, so trying to pretend I don't exist won't work."

Alex slowly uncurled with a resigned look on his face. "Fine. I'm listening."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When they have no one to impress, some Fears can be huge dorks. Doesn't make them any less dangerous though


	4. Things that Go Bump in the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, happy birthday to me, and happy new year to everyone else!

“So, Lovecraft. Explain.”

Ben shrugged waving his hand, “The man himself? Boring as hell. Saw glimpses of reality, got scared, wrote a bunch of books on the subject. Nothing interesting. His visions on the other hand…”

Throwing the cell phone to Alex, he sprawled on the carpet with his back to the wall. “I’m not going to pick apart all the stuff he got wrong and what he got right, so here’s the brief version. Does the name ‘Azathoth’ ring any bells?”

His face blank, Alex nodded carefully, “The Blind Idiot God?”

“Yep, him. Demon Sultan, Nuclear Chaos, and a bunch of other pretentious names. You see, the big old moron was here first, and by ‘here’ I mean the universe. Well, not _our_ universe. He- it- um, gender doesn’t particularly apply to such entities, but let’s go with ‘he’- existed on a different plane of reality. Think of it like this: if, let’s say, you’re Azathoth, then his world would be Earth, and our world would be, uh, I dunno, this notepad? Yeah, something like this. You can write in it, tear out a few pages, throw it away, burn it down… And trust me on this, the idiot out there can do much worse with our world. Good thing that he doesn’t particularly care.”

Deciding for the sake of his sanity to treat the story like fiction, Alex asked, “Did he create our world?”

“Nope. He created bigger stuff, like Outer Gods.”

“Outer Gods?” the human repeated. “Umm, OK, I know this. Shub-Niggurath, Yog-Sothoth…”

“…Hastur and Nyarlathothep,” Ben finished. “The Big Four. They were the ones who- Not now! I’m busy, can’t you see?!”

“Huh?” Alex looked around. “Who are you talking to?”

The entity raised his hand to forestall the questions and glared at the closed door, “Get out! I have this!”

The human teen followed his gaze feeling curious and slightly apprehensive, “Is there someone in the house?”

Ben made a noncommittal noise. “Not in the house but behind the door. Get out!” he yelled again.

“Is this another of your… umm… kind?” receiving a nod in response the teen scratched his head. “Why don’t you want them to come?”

Ben sent him an incredulous look, “Just a couple of minutes ago you were a gibbering wreck. Are you _sure_ you want to meet the rest of us?”

Alex shrugged, “I feel OK now.” Actually, he was feeling a bit _too_ normal. It had to be the influence of whatever it was that erased his fear.

Ben gave him a skeptical look followed by a dismissive handwave, “Fine, it’s your funeral. You can come in now!”

The door slowly opened.

Alex inhaled sharply and forgot to exhale the blank numbness enveloping his mind. He stared at the pale almost white hand with long metal blades attached to the fingers land on the floor. Another hand followed then the rest of the body – naked, hairless, strangely human with dog-like legs. The creature turned its head to him, large round eyes glowing with reflected light, and the corners of its gaping mouth lifted slightly exposing dagger-like teeth in a parody of a smile.

With a strange sort of detached calmness Alex shifted his gaze to the widely open door and what was most certainly not his corridor behind it. Instead a dark street was visible with a yellowish lamp casting strange shadows on old cracked walls and concrete.

“Alex, meet Rake and Empty City,” Ben said waving his hand first at the sickly thin beast then at the impossible street.

Rake sat back on its haunches tilting its head quizzically then sprang forward standing up on its hind legs and gripping Alex’s shoulders for balance. The human teen ignored the sharp metal blades pressed to his back lightly and stared at the reflective eyes of the strange creature.

It opened its mouth and the hollow whispers rang out slightly confused but somehow elated, “Lost, lost, lost one? Lost one, lost one.”

Alex stared back unable to answer from inside the blanket of numbness, but he didn’t want to say anything, wishing only to listen to those beautiful, _enchanting_ alien whispers.

The hypnotic spell was broken when Rake screeched madly and lunged back pressing itself to the floor. Ben snarled marching to the teenager and grabbing his chin, turning his head this way and that.

“What- you doin’?” Alex mumbled. Something wet was on his lips. He licked it off tasting a coppery tang. Blood? Raising his hand he swiped clumsily at his face, feeling the nosebleed. Something warm dripped from his ears and down the sides of his neck. More blood? He sent Ben a questioning and slightly pathetic look.

“You’ll live,” the entity grumbled letting go of his chin and sending an angry look at the Rake. “And this is why I’m the one who has to explain!”

Rake lowered its face growling unhappily and crawled closer bumping Alex’s shin with its head.

“It says it’s sorry,” Ben said. “Forgot that you’re human in all the excitement, I guess.”

Raising one hand palm up the entity concentrated pulling on the digital image and forcing it to materialize in the real world. In a flash of light a pack of tissues appeared, and Ben shoved them at the human teen, “Here, you are starting to look like me.”

Alex pressed the tissue to his nose, “Thanks. I hate blood.”

A dark laughter rang out, “You are in for the surprise then.”

Rake made a strange sound, its pointed ears twitching and claws tapping the floor with irritation. Ben growled discarding his human guise and lengthening his claws, “And how long were you listening in, you damn mutt?”

“I have better things to do then listen to your yapping,” a dark shape melting into existence in the middle of the room sneered, and Ben bared his fangs.

“Get off your high horse already! You are not impressing anyone!”

The massive form growled threateningly, its human-like teeth the first thing to solidify, and stepped closer to Ben, “I’d love to tear you apart, you arrogant upstart.”

Ben smirked, the tips of his foot-long claws coming to rest under the creature’s chin, “Look who is talking! You were the youngest of us before I came around. Bloated Woman found you what, fifty years ago? Damn shame that she did. Would’ve been better for everyone, if you died that day.”

The creature – enormous dog with bloodstained-looking crimson and red fur – prowled forward, Ben stepping back with each step it took. Literally pressed into the corner Ben wrinkled his nose in disgust turning his head away, “Ugh, you stink! Take a bath every now and then, will you?”

The dog growled one massive paw hitting the wall inches from his face, “Shut your mouth before I bite your head off!”

Ben sneered, stone-cold fingers wrapping around the paw, “Stop trying to bully me. It didn’t work before, and it certainly won’t now.”

The dog growled then gave a startled jerk feeling a hand touch its flank and turned to look at the perpetrator.

Alex fearlessly ran his fingers through the thick fur, feeling a bit surprised that it wasn’t wet despite looking bloodstained. “Is this the actual color?” he asked curiously, ignoring the startled look from the massive creature and the maniacal grin spreading across Ben’s face.

The dog stared at him then said gruffly, “It is.” It twisted sharply with more speed and maneuverability than expected from a creature this big and raised its paw crooked claws hovering dangerously close to Alex’s face. The teen stared back and shook the offered appendage as if in greeting, “I guess you’re the Smile Dog? I’m Alex, nice to meet you.”

Smile Dog quickly jerked the limb away, lowering it to the floor and sitting back on its haunches. Ben laughed and Rake nodded in approval. The dog stared at both of them for a second then gave Alex a calculating look, “Hmm, perhaps someday.”

Stepping back the creature slowly melted out of reality. Alex blinked a few times feeling the calm haze lift slightly from his mind, “That was… weird.”

“That was awesome!” Ben corrected gleefully. Feeling the annoyed look from Rake the entity waved his hand, “I know what you’re trying to say. No, we won’t stop fighting until he stops being a massive douche. He is the one who started it anyway!”

Rake grumbled with a long-suffering look and glanced at the City. The yellow light from the streetlamp was flickering in irregular pattern, shadows almost coming alive, while the cracks on the walls grew wider and longer. Rake let out a noise of agreement. These childish fights were grating on everybody’s nerves, even those who didn’t actually _have_ a nervous system.

Still feeling dazed, Alex sat on the edge of his bed. Rake immediately climbed near him, lowering its head on his lap. Alex stared at the creature for a moment not quite getting what it wanted then cautiously ran his hand over the bald head and down the protruding spine and ribs. Rake shifted a little to get more comfortable and started purring like a monstrous cat.

“Ain’t that cozy,” Ben huffed. Rake opened one eye to give him a look that clearly said how little the creature cared about his opinion.

A fluttering sound came from the open window, and Ben marched towards it with a frustrated noise grabbing the crow that just landed on the sill with both hands. “Why are you here too?” the entity demanded as the bird looked at him calmly with too intelligent eyes. “I have it covered!”

A simultaneous shudder run through every Fear present as they suddenly felt the call of the Crossroad of Trials, and Ben groaned miserably, “Today really isn’t my day, is it?”


	5. Harbinger of Impending Doom

“Huh? What’s going on?” Alex asked, confusion chasing away the numbness.

Rake made an unhappy noise, knowing it would have to leave in order to organize its feral (and not particularly smart) servants, and sent Ben a questioning look. The digital entity waved it off, a look of concentration on his face.

In a flash of light a gruesome red creature appeared before him, at least five feet tall with skull-like head, four insectoid legs, segmented tail, and thin outstretched arms. “Yes, master?” it rasped.

With another flash a second creature appeared, humanoid yet spider-like, colored black so dark, it seemed like a hole in space. It didn’t say anything, just stared at Ben attentively.

“Red, JVK, the Game is starting,” Ben said in a clipped tone hands clasped behind his back. “I’m busy right now, so get everything ready. Get Silver to help, he is good at organizing stuff, and find Ghost some work. This slacker was whining about boredom the other day.”

The creature nodded, “Of course.” It hesitated slightly and Ben added, “If Sonic gives you trouble, I’m giving you permission to delete him. I’m sick of his attitude.”

Red grinned maliciously and bowed as deeply as it could, “Thank you, master!”

“Can I rely on you two?” Ben asked.

“Have no fear, master,” Red assured. “We have plenty of experience.”

JVK nodded silently and both creatures disappeared in a flash of light.

“Well, there’s that,” the digital entity hummed. “You should get ready too,” he said glancing at Rake.

The creature sighed and nodded jumping down and crawling into the City. It raised a hand slightly awkwardly waving a goodbye and bounded back to its domain through another door.

“Are you staying?” Ben asked and the crow cawed at him taking a short flight to perch on his head. “Thought so. Alex, meet one of the Thunderbirds of the Convocation. Now can I finally finish my explanation or not?”

* * *

Plague Doctor jerked his head up sharply. “Another Game already?” he frowned looking down at his notes. “Oh dear. And here I hoped to have no distractions.”

With a flash of lightning a Thunderbird flew through the window landing on his desk.

“You felt it too, I assume,” the Doctor sighed as the bird nodded and looked at the papers spread out before him. “Should I lock my domain? I wouldn’t get anything done otherwise.”

“If you care so little about the Game, then relegate everything to your servants,” the Thunderbird said not in human words but understandable nonetheless.

Plague Doctor let out a horrified gasp, “Don’t even joke like that! I’d rather not participate at all than leave them to their own devices!”

“Didn’t you say that Beakman was reliable?”

“Ah, him,” the Doctor went quiet. “I’d rather not. Our dear Dr. Beakman has some… _delusions_ regarding his – and mine – place in the universe.”

The bird cawed, “Isn’t it funny when they think they have a chance of defeating and replacing us?”

The Doctor sighed, “Not particularly, no. I lost some very valuable specimens and research notes thanks to his… _tantrum_. I’d prefer not to repeat the experience.”

“Lockdown then,” the Thunderbird said. “Fine, I’ll tell everyone not to bother you unless necessary.”

Plague Doctor nodded distractedly, digging through his notes again, “Thank you, it would be much appreciated.”

* * *

Cold Boy let out a strangled sound feeling the call of the Crossroad. This was… unexpected. And certainly unwelcome. His ice body cracked and crinkled slightly as he paced back and forth. He disliked the Games and the almost forced participation in them. He also disliked the Crossroad but there was nothing he could actually do about it.

The Fear turned sharply on his heel and walked briskly away from the Winter’s Heart and to the edge of his domain where the frigid cold lessened its icy grip. The snow-covered city gave way to trees and barren hills and finally to the frozen river.

Cold Boy pressed his hand to the surface and willed the cold away until some of the ice melted. He waited for a few seconds before the water moved on its own accord slithering over his fingers. It looked at him despite having no eyes then rose quickly shifting into a humanoid form.

“Still don’t like the Games?” the figure asked in a feminine voice.

A smile touched his lips, “Hello to you too, EAT. But yes, I’m not particularly keen on participating.”

She tilted her head to the side, “Are you saying you won’t play?”

Cold Boy hummed thoughtfully, “Plague Doctor had already refused. Understandable, considering the last time, but this means we lack four players. I’d rather not leave another opening in a roster.”

EAT shifted slightly, “Blind Man would refuse to play, certainly, but we could try to convince Empty City to participate.”

Cold Boy felt his eyebrows rise, “You think you can manage it? The City had been a neutral ground for quite some time.”

The water figure shrugged elegantly, “Can’t hurt to try. Who knows, perhaps with the Lost One back things would change.”

He frowned, “Doubtful, but good luck to you nonetheless.”

* * *

“Are you kidding me?!” Mother of Snakes shrieked. “Now?! It couldn’t wait a couple of months?”

She glowered, the Mirror Hall reflecting her expression to infinity.

“This sucks,” she grumbled her tail curling into angry loops. “This sucks!” she yelled louder and slammed her palm over the surface of the closest mirror sending a message to all her Lilim. At least they didn’t need her guidance to do their job. Then she waved her hand selecting a mirror to appear from and materialized inside the familiar interior of the Screaming Tower.

She hissed with irritation slithering between thick cables and television screens, “Do you ever get the feeling that the Crossroad is just screwing with us?”

Wooden Girl raised one of her eight legs in greeting and laughed soundlessly. “I wouldn’t be surprised,” she mouthed not even bothering to possess her vessel. The Fears didn’t need words to understand each other.

“Exactly!” Lilith yelled straightening her back by habit. Of course, seeing as she was no longer in the desert, Mother of Snakes had promptly hit her head on the ceiling. “Ow!”

Wooden Girl let out a bout of static laughter, “Yes, my Tower has ceilings.”

Lilith rubbed her scaly head hunching over once again, “Very funny!”

Crossing her front four legs the spider-like Fear nodded, “It actually is.”

Coiling her long tail Lilith lowered her humanoid upper body glaring at the ceiling with suspicion as if it was going to become lower as well. For a moment Wooden Girl entertained the thought of manipulating her domain in exactly that way just to screw with her friend but decided against it filing the idea away for another time.

“Why did the Game had to start _now_ of all times?” Mother of Snakes complained.

“Because we have terrible luck?” the Puppeteer suggested. “Look on the bright side, at least we have competent servants.”

Lilith groaned flopping down, “I can’t imagine what it’s like for Frost. He has to constantly supervise his Children of the Cold or they’ll just keep playing all day long.”

Wooden Girl started to nod in agreement before pausing for a second, “Then again, my own team spent the last Game glued to the screen and marathoning old shows on Tower TV.” She frowned, “I should probably check to make sure they are actually working right now.”

Lilith gave her thumbs up, “You do that.”

* * *

The Game was starting? The Game was starting. Another Game, another Game, but still she couldn’t play. She wanted to play, so wanted to play, but couldn’t, couldn’t, couldn’t. She was still incomplete, half of her missing, chained and bound, locked away so close yet so far…

She was _waiting_.

She was waiting, half in fire, half in smoke, waiting for her chains to _snap_ , waiting to get _free_.

She was waiting, pacing the edges of her domain, the remains of power she once held and lost… No, she didn’t _lose_ , it was _taken_ from her! And for what? For doing what she was created for? She took mercy on the poor misguided creatures and granted them freedom, yet she herself was denied both…

She yearned to be free again, free to walk and speak and touch and laugh and _burn_ … There was entire world around her, entire world to burn, so many creatures with their cold bodies, locked away in a prison of flesh… Oh, how unbearable it must be to exist in the cold darkness without such beautiful flames! She wanted to bring a gift of fire, free their essence from the mortal cage of blood and bone. She wanted to help and welcome all the poor lost souls into her burning embrace…

But she was locked away and broken in two pieces, one unable to exist without the other, so very broken, fire and smoke together yet apart…

She wanted to be free and away from her prison-domain, she yearned to be complete and finally play the Game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ben's servants are from various video game creepypastas, namely, NES Godzilla, Jvk1166z.esp, Lost Silver, Ghost Black, and Sonic.exe  
> By legend, Lilith is the mother of Lilim. I have no idea why this isn't an official name for Mother of Snakes.


	6. These Are Things Man Was Not Meant to Know

Ben rubbed his temples and shooed away the Thunderbird, “Okay, where did I stop?”

“Outer Gods,” Alex prompted staring at the bird perched on his desk. Everything felt surreal. Slender Man, Ben, Rake, Empty City, Smile Dog, Convocation… A long train of horrors barging into his life without invitation and turning his entire world upside down… But why was he so damn calm?!

“You recognized us, simple as that,” Ben stated and the human teen belatedly realized he said the last part aloud.

“That’s why I should be scared!” he groaned tugging on his dark hair in frustration.

The bird cawed at him, its feathers ruffled, and Ben snickered, “I’m not talking about human knowledge, it’s deeper than that. An instinct of a sort… It serves its purpose rather nicely, doesn’t it?”

“ _What_ purpose?!”

“Well, if I can finally finish my damn explanation, I’ll get to it! Unless someone else decides to interrupt me!”

The Thunderbird let out a screeching sound, and the digital monster glared at it, “Nobody asked the peanut gallery!”

“Get on with it!” Alex yelled finally tired of waiting, receiving a shrewd look from Ben.

The entity tilted his head to the side, bloodied lips spreading in a sharp-toothed smile, “What do you know, you are finally showing some emotion! Which means you are getting used to our presence. Good for you!”

Alex closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose, “Just get on with it already.”

“Okay!” Ben agreed quickly throwing himself into the vacated chair. “So, Outer Gods. The Big Four. Yog-Sothoth – the eldest and least comprehensible; Shub-Niggurath – the scariest; Nyarlathothep – the weirdo; and Hastur – the stick in the mud with terrible sense of humor. Also the youngest. All in all, a completely normal family of four siblings with no mom and a deadbeat dad, right? Well, for a given definition of normal.”

“…For a given definition of normal,” Alex echoed. “Right. The normal family of eldritch monsters.”

Ben shrugged, “Eh, I’ve seen worse. Anyway, they lived in their own world, doing their normal monster-y things, until one day they got bored. And when creatures like that get bored, they create. Now, three guesses as to what they decided to create! One, two, three… sold! Yep, that was our world they created simply because they had nothing better to do.”

Ben fell silent giggling softly at the bombshell he just dropped and waiting for the reaction. Alex squeezed his eyes shut, “Is this the worst part?”

“Nope!”

“Then I’ll freak out later. Go on.”

“Heh, okay. Well, the creation wasn’t like building a house brick by brick, more like planting a garden: create the necessary conditions and watch the flowers grow, nevermind the weeds that somehow got in there.”

“What did they do though?” Alex couldn’t help but ask because the implications were staggering.

“Each had their preferred field of work. Yog dealt with the basic stuff – space, time, matter, energy – you know, the building blocks, and the laws applying to them – like gravity or thermodynamics. Thanks to him, everything you know, from atoms to stars, can exist. Shub created life. She scattered the first living organisms across the universe and made evolution possible. And before you ask – yes, aliens exist. And so the four nerds watched their version of Discovery Channel for who knows how long, before deciding it was boring too. They wanted soap operas, so they decided to create intelligent life.”

Alex groaned, “I was afraid of that.”

Ben laughed, “I don’t mean human life! It was far too early for that. No, their first creations were Great Old Ones, like your favorite Cthulhu.”

“He is not my anything…!”

“There was a lot of them, each custom-made with unique form and abilities. And they were powerful, incredibly so. And arrogant. Not all, but many,” Ben sighed with a faraway look on his face. “Worst of all, I can’t even blame the spoiled brats. They were the first inhabitants of this world, first children of Outer Gods…”

Shaking off his reverie and ignoring the suspicious looks Alex was sending him, Ben continued, “Well, it was fun while it lasted at any rate. Then Shub and Nyarly decided to do something different and created the first intelligent _species_. Those were what you might know as the Elder Things. It… didn’t go well with the Old Ones as you can imagine. See, Elders were kinda like humans, in a sense. They were curious little things, poking their noses in the different corners of our world, so thirsty for knowledge… And they were mortal. Mortal and fragile… Compared to Old Ones they were _nothing_ , so weak and helpless, hiding behind their science, trying in vain to survive the horrors of this world…”

Ben trailed off again, lost in his memories. Alex tapped his fingers feeling curious despite himself, “Were you there?”

Startled the entity looked up at him, and Alex repeated the question, “Were you there? You are talking like you’ve seen all of it with your own eyes.”

Ben slowly shook his head, but then paused and shrugged, “Not truly, but… in a way? It’s kinda hard to explain. I’ll get to it.”

“Anyway,” the entity continued. “Things were bad for Elders, because most of the Old Ones were jealous douches. Not all of them, because some liked Elder Things or were at least curious about them, while others didn’t care either way, reasoning that the world was big enough for everyone. Then it got worse and worse until the Old Ones – the jerkass group – almost completely wiped out the Elders from existence with their squabbles. So the Outer Gods got up from their asses and decided to interfere. Of course, it wasn’t as easy as it sounds. Bear in mind that the Big Four weren’t a part of our world, so them trying to enter it would be… not a got idea.”

Alex crossed his arms, “How ‘not good’?”

“Umm, end of the world ‘not good’?” Ben shrugged seeming not to care. “It’s just… they are so much _bigger_ then this world… they can tear it to shreds with no effort. The creation was a filigree work – like painting a portrait on a rice grain – any wrong movement could’ve ended in disaster. Obviously it didn’t, or we won’t be talking here right now… Anyway, the Four needed _some_ way to interact with their creations without risking the destruction of everything... That’s when Hastur got the idea. He separated a piece of himself, small and weak enough to not be a threat, and slipped it through the walls of the universe. The other followed his lead creating their own avatars, exact copies of themselves but scaled down… And thus they entered our world – King in Yellow, Lurker at the Threshold, Black Goat, and Crawling Chaos.”

“…But not Demon Sultan?”

“Him?” the entity snorted. “Yeah, right. Like I said, the giant moron didn’t care one bit. Honestly, he is just… too different. Even the Big Four could never quite understand him, and they are pretty alien themselves. No, it was just the Four who was interested in our world.”

“…And?” Alex prompted.

“Well, the avatars were very close to Old Ones on the power scale… and they weren’t about to go down without a fight. What followed… wasn’t pretty. See, if the Four tried to unleash more power, the world began to crack at the seams. But if they stayed on the same level, they could be killed. Now, for them it wasn’t _that_ bad – the avatars simply rejoined their main body – but second separation took time. Meanwhile Old Ones razed the world… So the Four created more avatars, and some of the Old Ones joined their side. Hell, even Elders tried to help, nevermind how incredibly outmatched they were. Their creations – Shoggoths – were actually of great help but… Well, you know that song? ‘There’s no such thing as a winnable war’. The Four and allied Old Ones had won, but the Elders went completely extinct. Most of the Great Old Ones were chained and bound for eternity or banished into the remote corners of the world, some were destroyed completely. The world itself suffered greatly…”

Ben stared at the ceiling with a faraway look, “It really was horrible, you know. For a long time the world was in shambles, devoid of life, and Outer Gods thought about destroying it completely. Thankfully, they changed their minds, mostly because they didn’t want to kill their few remaining creations. Finally, they decided to give it another try.”

“You mean, create intelligent life?” Alex asked still trying to convince himself it was just a story and not a recounting of true events. He would have done it, if not for the small part of his mind – same part that kept him calm and unafraid in the situation where fear was a natural response – telling him it was true.

“Yeah. Only this time instead of creating them from scratch, the Four took the most evolved species from across the world, and gave them the necessary nudge in the right direction. A few species though got a special attention. Yog got interested in the race from planet Yith who had the ability to travel in time, Shub chose the planet Yuggoth for her experiments with the strange creatures called Mi-Go… Hastur didn’t particularly care at first, holing up on a planet near Aldebaran, but got interested in the species that Nyarlathothep chose… So together they came to the third planet of a yellow sun and gave the apes inhabiting it the ability to evolve… into humans.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't say I'm satisfied with how this chapter turned out, but at least it's out of the way now


	7. Keeper of Forbidden Knowledge

Somebody was… there? There, there, at the edges, at the edges of her cage, standing, staring, waiting, waiting, away from her fire, away from her grasp.

“Come closer, come closer, over the edge,” she sang swaying within the roaring flames. “Do you want a taste of fire? Do you want a taste of freedom?”

The hooded figure, face hidden underneath a gas mask, moved closer, staying inches away from the invisible barrier surrounding the Grove of Fetters and the burnt remains of a church within.

“Come closer, come closer, tell me your name, let me embrace you, let me give you a gift of flame.”

The human-looking entity chuckled darkly stepping inside her domain as if the boundary no longer existed, “That’s what I’m here for. My name is Archangel.”

* * *

Internet memes were sometimes funny, mostly annoying, but ultimately harmless. Zalgo text was impossible to read, refused to work correctly with a certain web-browser, and didn’t qualify for a creepypasta. Memes were hard to get rid of and Zalgo was relatively well-known.

Some entities didn’t get their power from fear. They only needed you to be aware of their existence.

Throughout the world people disappeared – teenagers and young adults mostly, those well-versed in the Internet sub-culture. Assumed dead – there was too much blood to think otherwise – taken from their homes or workplaces. The only thing connecting all of the cases? Laptops and desktops and mobile devices found nearby, all with Internet connection, all frozen with the images and text distorted beyond recognition.

* * *

The woman seemed old, though it was hard to tell whether her age or unhealthy looks were to blame. Her gaunt face with hollow cheeks and sunken eyes was framed by thin strands of brittle grey hair. Pallid skin stretched thinly over her bones, the old dress she wore hanging awkwardly as if on a scarecrow. And yet there was power, ancient and terrible, simmering underneath her skin and glowing in the depths of her eyes.

Lavinia Whateley hadn’t been human in quite a long time.

The bone-spiders scurried away as she descended into the darkness of Catacombs, her footsteps echoing loudly.

“You again.” The voice sounded resigned yet filled with hostility.

She tilted her head bird-like, chapped lips stretching into a smile, “Blind Man. I was wondering when you were coming to greet me.”

The Fear frowned at her, “Why are you here, Wanderer? You bring disasters everywhere you go!”

“Such harsh words,” she demurred. “You truly are blind if you can’t see me for what I am – a catalyst, nothing more.”

“You think you can play with fate!” Blind Man retorted. “You walk through time and space, so you think you know everything? You are but a child playing with forces you cannot possibly comprehend!”

She laughed in response, high and derisive, “I’m married to fate! I’m married to he who created space and time, yet you still think of me as a child? You, who collects past and refuses to see the future, accuse me of lacking the knowledge to twist this world to my will?”

“Why are you here?” the Fear repeated irritably. “I do not want your presence to pollute my domain any more than necessary. So state your business and remove yourself from my sight.”

“To business then?” Lavinia asked. “Very well. I need the Necronomicon.”

“No,” he responded quickly. “Necronomicon belongs to us, as it always did.”

“I need it.”

“I don’t care!” Blind Man hissed. “I won’t give it to you!”

Her lips tightened into a straight line before a piece of glass appeared between her fingers, whether by the sleight of hand or something much more sinister. The golden fractal design etched onto it glimmered softly with the light reflected from nowhere.

“You wouldn’t dare,” the Fear said slowly, almost doubting his own words.

“Lead me to the Necronomicon or I will kill you,” Lavinia threatened harshly.

“Fine!” he snarled turning sharply around and descending the stairs that weren’t there a second ago. Still holding the glass shard in her hand, she followed.

* * *

The blessing of fire simmered within him, small flames reflected in the tinted glasses of his gas mask. It wasn’t much, the caged Fear didn’t have a lot of power, but it was quality not quantity that truly mattered. The Crossroad of Trials was unreachable before the third call, before the Game started in earnest, only Fears and their servants capable of accessing it.

The Burning Bride might be bound but she was still a Fear, and right now he was her servant.

* * *

His tail twitching nervously, Red looked at the distortions within .Reality. His master wasn’t going to be pleased. Ben prided himself on the control he held over the data, his will absolute within the digital world. Yet _something_ was using the Internet to… what? Communicate? Manipulate? Distort? Destroy?

Red clicked his claws as he searched the web for any information pertaining to the problem, becoming more and more horrified with each passing second. Something was killing humans and not even bothering to cover its tracks! Unbelievable!

Red hastily summoned several of the Sky Sethe ordering them to clean up the mess – remove the evidence and falsify the memories so that the victims were forgotten as if they never existed. The humans could not be allowed to find out about the Fears!

With a scowl the servant hopped across the Internet, searching for any trace of the perpetrator. He would deal a swift and merciless punishment to anyone daring to infringe on his master’s domain.

* * *

Blind Man led her through winding staircases and pitch black tunnels into the heart of the Catacombs. Lavinia walked briskly, unconcerned with the hostile power permeating every inch of his domain.

“You sure hid it well,” she commented. “No one wants to walk this much. Or is it your way to stay fit? A rather boring exercise, that’s for sure. Have you thought about hiring a fitness trainer instead? Or at least a designer? This place can do with some redecoration.” The absence of a reply didn’t bother her either.

They walked through the dark corridors before finally reaching a large iron gate. The hinges creaked ominously, the gate opening on its own accord and revealing a round chamber lit up by dozens of torches.

Lavinia raised an eyebrow, “Torches in the library? Isn’t that a fire hazard?”

“You are the only hazard here,” Blind Man bit back striding towards a stone pedestal and the leather-bound tome lying on it.

The Necronomicon.

Lavinia smiled darkly, circling the book like a vulture over a dying animal, “Ah, it looks just like I remember. A wonderful creation, isn’t it?” She lightly caressed the cover with her skeletal fingers chuckling when the book opened and closed abruptly jerking away from her touch. “Such a clever book, so loyal to its author. Do you hate me?”

The Necronomicon opened once again, its yellow pages completely empty. Black ink seeped from within the parchment revealing a single word, “YES.”

She pouted, “Don’t you want to come with me?”

The black letters disappeared, and another word wrote itself, “NO.”

Blind Man looked more than a bit smug, “Good luck getting any information out of it.”

Lavinia sighed, “It’s just too bad. I was so looking forward to reading it. Nevertheless, thank you for bringing me here.” She smirked, “That’s exactly what I wanted.”

The glass shattered between her fingers.

The golden fractal trapped within unfurled from two dimensions into three. Then four. Then seven. Nine. Twelve. It grew and expanded, devouring space and time, shredding the fabric of reality.

The Catacombs groaned under the onslaught of power, the foundations of the entire domain trembling and cracking. Blind Man poured out all of his energy to combat the sentient weapon, but it was powerful, so much more than him. He could only delay the inevitable.

“Why?” he asked coldly. “What do you hope to accomplish by killing me, Lavinia? It’s nothing but a petty inconvenience. I will come back soon and repair any damage to my domain.”

She sighed shaking her head in disappointment, “You truly don’t understand, do you? The Game is starting. The Crossroad of Trials sent the first call already.”

“So?” the Fear scoffed paying no attention to the golden fractal tearing into his body. “I wasn’t going to play anyway.”

“But you still hold the ticket to the Game, don’t you? It’s right here, in the heart of your domain. With it you can claim your place as a player at any moment before the second call,” she paused briefly then smirked. “Or should I say, anyone can claim it as long as you are out of the way.”

The realization made the Fear struggle harder but all his efforts were futile.

“Oh yes,” she nodded. “When you finally return, your place in the Game will no longer be yours.”

Lavinia watched without remorse as the golden weapon tore Blind Man apart before slowly folding back into two dimensions and settling within its glass case. She grabbed the Necronomicon from the pedestal ignoring its struggles to break free and smirked, “Your move, Archangel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .Reality and Sky Sethe were described on Fear Mythos wiki, but apparently those pages are missing now for some reason. And yes, I know that Archangel is a Fear in canon while Ben isn't, but I'm changing a lot of things, so please, bear with me.


	8. Tomato in the Mirror

The human teen was silent for a while, his face buried in his hands, then said quietly, “I think I get it now. You are an avatar, right?”

“Guilty as charged,” Ben responded flippantly. “Particularly, I’m an avatar of Nyarlathothep. Or a Mask as we are sometimes called.”

“You said I recognized you,” Alex whispered. “And you- you recognized me too, right? What- what the hell am I?!”

The Thunderbird cawed loudly, and he could almost understand its not-words.

“One of us,” Ben said simply. “A Mask of Nyarlathothep. A shard of an ancient god.”

Alex heard the words but struggled to comprehend them, wishing desperately for the artificial calmness to return. It felt like his mind was shutting down from shock and denial. “I’m human,” he managed to whisper. “I’m human, not- not-”

The digital entity gave him a rueful grin, “You think I was born as a Mask? I was human too, once. Just a stupid kid who was in the wrong place at the wrong time... But that’s ancient history.” He smirked, “Denial won’t help one bit, you know.”

The teen didn’t move, didn’t say anything, but something within him kept whispering that it was all true. He didn’t know what to believe, even if it made sense on some strange level. Why else would such entities bother with an insignificant human unless he was something important…?

His mind registered voices but the words faded into background noise. Alex only came out of his stupor when gloved fingers wrapped gently around his wrists pulling his hands away from his face. He stared numbly at the white bird mask (at least, he hoped it was a mask) of an entity kneeling beside him.

“Feeling better, my boy?” the humanoid creature clad in black coat asked.

Surprisingly, he did. There was warmth spreading from his wrists where his skin came in contact with black leather. It enveloped his entire body calming his erratic heartbeat and making it easier to breath. It wasn’t the blank numbness from before, but his head cleared nonetheless.

Alex nodded his voice breaking slightly, “Yeah. Thanks.” He paused, “Are you-?”

“I’m Plague Doctor, dear boy, or Pestilence, whichever name you prefer.”

“Call him Doc,” Ben interjected. “Everyone does.”

The bird-headed Fear gave him a slightly reproachful look, “If memory serves me correctly, it was you who started the habit of shortening my name, was it not? But yes, I suppose you can call me that as well.”

Doctor stood up, releasing his grip, “Do you mind visiting my domain, dear boy? I didn’t have the time to properly look through my notes, but I’d prefer to study your baffling case as soon as possible.”

“He still doesn’t know anything,” Ben said. “There’s a lot more stuff I’m supposed to tell.”

Plague Doctor waved his hand, “You can speak while I work. Now, what do you say, my boy?”

Alex looked like a deer in headlights. He still felt sick from the emotional rollercoaster, and the fear and anxiety started slowly creeping back into his mind. Subconsciously, he trusted the Fears, but it didn’t mean he wanted to go anywhere with them. It felt as if something irreversible was going to happen the moment he agreed.

“Um, my mom is coming home soon,” he said lamely feeling his heartbeat quicken to unhealthy speed. “Maybe later?”

Ben snorted at the pathetic excuse, and Plague Doctor waved his hand dismissively, “Nonsense, nonsense, my boy! It won’t take long at all! You will be back in no time!”

Shaking like a leaf, Alex nodded, “Okay. Okay, fine, I’ll- I’ll go with you. Fine. What’s the worst that could happen, right?”

“Excellent!” the bird-headed Fear said excitedly and tugged the human teen to his feet.

The digital entity clapped his hands, “Well then, next stop – Crumbling Castle! Hold on!”

The world dissolved into blinding light.

* * *

Alex swore to never, ever, _ever_ let Ben transport him again. The trip was fast, full of brightly flashing colors, way too jerky, and generally nauseating.

“Looks like .Reality doesn’t agree with you,” the entity smirked. “Too bad. We are going back the same way.”

“Or you could ask Empty City to open a door instead,” Plague Doctor said with a mild reproach.

Alex nodded quickly, but immediately regretted the movement, feeling dizzy and disoriented.

“Breathe deeply, my boy,” Doctor said running a hand down his spine. Once again the strange warmth spread from the points of contact chasing away the nausea.

The human teen slowly straightened up glancing at the Fear with curiosity, “How did you do that? Aren’t you supposed to spread diseases or something? …No offence.”

Plague Doctor waved his hand, “None taken, none taken. It is true that I prefer to study illnesses and afflictions of humankind, but how could I properly work if I couldn’t restore health as well? I’d lose so many specimens otherwise. It is quite a simple skill though admittedly boring.”

Alex shuddered, resolutely not thinking about what “specimens” those were, and turned his attention to his surroundings.

The walls, floor, and ceiling of the long hallway rippled and changed from brick to stone to wood to tile. Cracks spread widely, pieces falling off and revealing pulsating flesh underneath which was quickly covered by another layer of the endlessly changing wall. The whole place was throbbing with life.

A gloved hand touched his shoulder lightly, “Welcome to Crumbling Castle.”

* * *

The lab contained plenty of modern and downright futuristic equipment looking at odds with cold grey walls and tiny barred windows of a medieval dungeon. Alex tried not to shiver lying on the table under bright lights as Plague Doctor took measurements with strange scanners while Ben slowly circled the lab poking curiously at various devices.

“Don’t you have a story to tell, Ben?” Doctor prompted, quickly jotting down some numbers in his notebook.

“Oh, right, right,” the digital Fear turned around leaning on the edge of the table and grinned down at the human. “I know what you’re thinking about. ‘How can I be a god? I’m just an ordinary human! You must be wrong! How is it possible?’ Truth to be told, none of us know much either. Maybe Doc can shed some light on what happened, when he finishes his research…”

“I _am_ right here,” Plague Doctor reminded him. “But you are not incorrect. I do indeed hope to find some answers.”

“What _do_ you know?” Alex asked. “You keep talking and talking but you don’t _say_ anything.”

“You are a weird one,” Ben replied with a faraway look. “Always were and, I guess, always will be. Your story started several millennia ago, in Ancient Egypt. A plague came – I bet Doc would’ve been thrilled to study it – a lot of people died, nobody knew what to do, except for one person. The pharaoh of that time was a powerful seer and his visions showed him what had to be done as well as the cost he had to pay. He found a way to reach through the walls of the universe and call for help. Nyarlathothep had always been interested in humankind, but never directly interfered… up to that moment. I told you, I used to be human but I wasn’t the first to be transformed like that.”

“He was the first one,” Alex mumbled. “Or was it me?”

Plague Doctor stopped his work to gently ruffle the teen’s hair, his warm touch chasing away the shock and soothing his anxiety, “Correct, my boy. The Dark Pharaoh was the first human ever to be transformed into one of us, though certainly not the last.”

“He pretended to be human for a while after that,” Ben said. “Stayed in Egypt for years. But there’s a reason that even his name is erased from history.”

“Humans fear what they cannot understand,” Plague Doctor interjected. “It is a trait quite necessary for their survival. Alas, it so often replaces common sense, and just as often others suffer for it.”

“He still thought of himself as a human, even after all that happened, but his memories started to fade,” Ben continued. “He was changing, losing touch with his humanity… I certainly can relate. Same thing is happening to me as well. The difference is he didn’t _want_ to change. He wanted to stay in that strange limbo between humanity and godhood. He couldn’t become human again, but he could pretend.”

“I do not quite understand it,” the bird-headed Fear said, his notes abandoned. “I have never been anything other than myself, and while I admit to harboring some interest towards humankind, it has always been nothing but purely academic. But it is logical to presume that a change so drastic could be perceived negatively, driving him to revert to his previous self.”

“The Dark Pharaoh was reborn with his memories erased and his powers bound,” Ben said. “Lived his life as an ordinary human, but the moment he died, everything came back. It went on like this for centuries.”

“Something went wrong,” Alex mumbled pressing his hands to his temples. “That’s what happened, right?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Plague Doctor admitted. “I was but a few years old at the time but I do remember it somewhat. His incarnation died, we all felt it, but he didn’t regain his power or memories afterwards. He was reborn again and again yet nobody could understand _why_. We tried to track him down to no avail, aware only of the time and place of his death. His trail was always cold when we arrived. Until four months ago.”

“Four months ago?” Alex repeated, his voice trembling. “I got hit by a car. The doctor said I was lucky to survive. She said my heart stopped.”

“And that was when we all became aware of your presence. We had finally found you.”

Alex didn’t answer, the madness of the last hours finally catching up to him.

At least he was already lying when he lost consciousness.


	9. From Nobody to Nightmare

“That was a long time coming,” Ben sighed poking the unconscious teen with one claw.

Plague Doctor swatted at him irritably and turned his attention to the Mask turned human. The Fear heaved a loud sigh. Normally, any human not bearing his personal mark would succumb to various terminal diseases after the first step inside Crumbling Castle, so to keep his guest safe he had to strictly control his domain. Unpleasant, but necessary. Gloved fingers brushed the teen’s forehead, healing energy pouring out and turning unconsciousness into simple sleep. It would do him well to get some rest.

“Any news, Doc?”

He sighed again. The youngest Mask was always quite energetic and impatient, sometimes annoyingly so. “Not much, I am afraid. Nothing we didn’t know already.”

Ben cursed under his breath and rubbed his temples, “How do we fix him, Doc? There has to be something we can do!”

“Not enough information, I’m afraid,” the Fear of Disease said. “The only method that comes to mind is keeping him on the brink of death for a prolonged period of time in hopes that it will jolt his memories.”

The digital entity grimaced, “But that’s way too risky. Damn. We just found him! We can’t afford to lose him again!”

“Quite so, quite so,” Plague Doctor agreed. “Would you be so kind as to return our guest back home? My domain had never been the most inviting of places, and I do need to process the data.”

“Yeah, sure. City!” A plain wooden door shimmered into existence on the nearby wall, opening invitingly into the ever-changing city. Ben carefully scooped the unconscious teen into his arms, “Bye, Doc. Call me if you find anything.”

Plague Doctor waved him off, “Of course. But do be careful – we do not need to-” He stumbled mid-sentence as the world changed ever so slightly.

Ben nearly walked into the door, “The hell is he thinking? The second call is going to sound soon!”

The bird-headed doctor huffed in exasperation, “At least some warning would’ve been nice!” True, Blind Man never played the Game, they were used to it, but to leave so suddenly? Unbelievable! “I do hope he at least sealed his domain, the old fool!”

Ben scowled, “Convocation will check, I guess. Think you should play, Doc?”

Plague Doctor looked rather comical, puffing up like a bird with ruffled feathers, “I certainly do not appear to have any other choice!”

As the door closed behind the digital Fear, the Crumbling Castle rearranged imperceptibly. The viruses and bacteria enhanced by eldritch power once again floated freely around – the ultimate defense against any biological creature. Plague Doctor stalked away, out of the lab and deeper into the heart of his domain where the ticket to the Game waited for him to claim his place as a player.

* * *

“Uhh… Didn’t Convocation say that Doc wasn’t playing?” Mother of Snakes asked in bafflement.

Wooden Girl shrugged, “Probably finished his research earlier than he expected. Eh, who cares? Wanna see our new show?”

Lilith perked up, “New show?”

“Only the best for our dear guest!” the skeletal puppet wearing a patchwork leather cape announced appearing in the doorway. He took off his top hat and bowed with a flourish somehow managing not to drop the large bowl he was carrying.

Wooden Girl rolled all eight of her eyes hiding a smile, “Charmer. Lil is way out of your league, brother dear.”

“You wound me so! Why, oh, why did cruel fate give me such a venom-filled nightmare for a sister?” he cried theatrically. “I brought popcorn,” he continued in a normal voice.

“Did somebody say ‘popcorn’?” another puppet, this one with enormous moustache and monocle, materialized almost out of thin air following the siren call of junk food. “Percy, come over here, quick! There’s popcorn!”

“You don’t need to yell,” the third puppet complained, his irritated but ordinary voice somewhat at odds with his antique porcelain head. “And you _could_ have helped me carry the soda.”

“I could,” he agreed twirling the giant moustache. “If you told me we were having a TV show marathon!”

“Oh, great, the three stooges are here!” Mother of Snakes smirked. Her large body shrank and shifted until she looked like a strangely humanoid lizard – all the better to sit on the old sofa standing before a large TV screen. “Gimme the popcorn.”

Skin-Taker put the bowl on her lap and sprawled nearby. His skeletal body rippled and changed into a facsimile of a human form though his clothes remained the same.

Percy kicked him in the shin lightly putting down the cans of soda and grabbed a handful of popcorn, “Don’t hog the sofa. You aren’t alone here.” The other two puppets changed as well, looking indistinguishable from humans.

Mother of Snakes bent her inhumanly long neck looking at her friend upside down, “What are you waiting for, Janice? C’mon, we want to see the show!”

Wooden Girl dragged her vessel closer and slowly folded inside it. With the bulk of her body hidden within a small dimensional pocket, she tugged on strings of spider silk with all eight limbs, controlling the marionette with usual ease. The wooden shell rippled and changed, garish paint easing into softer colors of a human body. Her movements were somewhat stilted and jerky but much more graceful than any normal puppet could ever hope to achieve. She claimed the edge of the sofa and turned on the TV with a wave of her hand, “We are watching ‘Afterpeople’!”

* * *

The Crossroad of Trials. The intersection of all domains and the neutral ground between them. The place only Fears and their servants were allowed to enter until the Great Game truly began.

So that was what it looked like.

Archangel let the fire blaze around him, each step leaving scorched marks that quickly disappeared. He could see the intricate threads weaved into the fabric of space stretching under the unassuming façade of the Crossroad. It truly was an amazing place, but he didn’t come there just to gawk.

Domains were strange, each of them holding the roots of the Fear it belonged to. In some way, Fears and domains were one, so binding a Fear meant binding its domain as well. Just like Burning Bride was stripped of her powers, the Grove of Fetters had lost its place outside space and time, making it accessible to one such as himself.

But in order to reach other domains he had to use the Crossroad.

* * *

Convocation cawed loudly, the multitude of feathered wings beating in unison. They reveled in their job as messengers and talebearers, their hive mind allowing a swift communication between Fears.

But the Blind Man was always an odd one out, his domain unwelcome for anyone. As a result, the Catacombs lacked a representative of Convocation, meaning that the flock of Thunderbirds had to fly the whole way from Bleak Shore.

Convocation screeched with irritation. Honestly, he was almost as bad as the Intrusion. But even the insectoid hive-mind freely allowed visitors – the Hive was simply too boring a place to stay in for long. The Blind Man was downright _hostile_.

And now he decided to leave for some inane reason, probably just to irritate everyone. He surely wasn’t stupid enough to leave his domain unlocked (the last thing they needed was some servant claiming his place) but they had to check nonetheless.

The Crossroad of Trials spread beneath their wings – a convoluted intersection of dimensions and realities with a will of its own. It dictated the rules of the Game and demanded that all Fears played it – they had to pay with their power otherwise. Of course, it was all rigged nowadays. Even the most antagonistic of Fears agreed to never play in earnest, leading every Game to a carefully constructed draw. This way no Fear was in danger of losing their powers and domains, even if no one could gain power either.

Only one Fear had ever disagreed with this arrangement, her madness destroying any common sense she had, but the Burning Bride would never be allowed to enter the Game again.

* * *

The fate favored him, it seemed! The scarce information his partner in crime had managed to find within .Reality allowed him to construct this incredibly risky plan, but luck was on his side!

Archangel laughed striding across the ruined Catacombs into the very heart of the abandoned domain. Whatever happened to Blind Man sure did a number on the defenses as well. He didn’t even need the borrowed fire to break through!

He sobered quickly. There was no doubt in his mind that the other Fears had registered the disappearance already. He needed to claim the ticket, and _fast_.

Archangel ran through the dark tunnels and staircases, the Bride’s fire devouring the bookshelves and scaring the remaining bone-spiders, until finally he reached the mangled iron gate and the ruined chamber behind it.

* * *

“Don’t be such a jerk! It’s a gift!” Lilith yelled as on the TV screen Nia screamed at the Afterperson who brought her a human bone.

“Wow, rude,” Janice commented grabbing a handful of popcorn. The second episode ended, and the next one started immediately.

“Don’t want to brag…” Skin-Taker began.

“You are already bragging, oh brother of mine,” Janice laughed stealing his top hat.

“Don’t want to brag,” he repeated trying to get back the hat that Wooden Girl held just out of his reach. “But this has to be one of our best shows.”

“Yeah, and making it was pretty fun too,” Percy said. “Besides, sci-fi is all the rage nowadays, and our ‘special effects’ beat any CGI.”

“Too true,” Wooden Girl agreed lazily. “I think we should make-” she stumbled over her words suddenly almost spilling her drink. “The hell?!”

Mother of Snakes was staring at her with wide eyes, “You felt it too, right?”

The three pirate-themed puppets looked at them incomprehensively. “Felt what?” Horace Horrible finally asked.

Janice made a high-pitched noise waving her hands around, “Did the Blind Man seriously just enter the Game?!”

“Mr. ‘Don’t-bother-me-I-don’t-have-time-for-this’ is playing?” Skin-Taker asked incredulously. “Are we in a Twilight Zone?”

Percy shrugged, “Our whole lives are Twilight Zone.”

Wooden Girl snorted calming down, “No kidding. I wonder what happened.”

As if summoned by her words, a flash of lightning and rolling thunder announced the arrival of Convocation. And the news it brought ended their good mood abruptly. “Blind Man is dead. Somebody claimed his place in the Game.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Afterpeople” is an exceptionally good creepypasta by Slimebeast (Christopher Wolf). It seems to be the exact kind of show to be aired on Tower TV and something that the Fears would enjoy watching.
> 
> And yes, Ben, Plague Doctor, and Convocation felt Blind Man’s “death”, while Mother of Snakes and Wooden Girl didn’t. There’s a reason for it.


End file.
